


Broken Boys Fixing Each Other

by Demigod2405



Series: Picture Perfect [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Child Abuse, M/M, Parental Jim "Chief" Hopper, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 09:23:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21407905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demigod2405/pseuds/Demigod2405
Summary: Billy knew that his fathers lessons were wrong but he never could quite get around to being better, until Jonathan.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Jonathan Byers/Billy Hargrove, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper
Series: Picture Perfect [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1539595
Kudos: 59





	Broken Boys Fixing Each Other

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third part of my 'Picture Perfect' universe. This time we look closer at Billy and Jonathan and how they came to be.

The order of things was a big part of Billys’ life. From the time he got up to when he needed to be out the door. He had been trying to teach this to Max as quickly as he could given the man she would be living with. But alas, she didn’t want to understand that. She knew that Sir yelled at him and threatened him and she knew that that was why he had the issues he did but she had yet to see a beating and he was terrified of what that would do. He didn’t want her to live in fear like he did. He didn’t want her to watch her vibrant mom turn into a broken husk-like he did. He didn’t want her to feel her father figures fists on her body as he did. He worked hard to be good to avoid his fathers’ wrath but he still slipped up just enough that fathers focus was on him and not her. She was just a kid –  _ so where we _ – a voice supplied in his head but he drowned that out with the soft jazz that Jonathan was playing in the background.

That was something Billy was desperately both trying to keep close and push away. If Jonathan was close to him then Father could find out and Jonathan would get hurt – big time – but at the same time, being around Jonathan was the only good part of his life. If he had known that signing up to be a lifeguard would end like this he would have done it sooner. A lot sooner. He still remembered the day, seeing his pendant mark sing and gleam from the blonde boys’ chest from his place on the poolside. Jonathan had been in the middle of laughing at some joke being told, he had thrown his head back and laughed - coming back down with a grin on his face and light in his eyes. The sun had turned his hair into gold and gave his freckles the chance to appear. He had been gorgeous and he had submerged billy in him, and also the pool. Some punk had knocked him under where he was frozen and while under Billy came to the conclusion that is this was the most compatible person for him then they must be the most compatible person for his issues as well. Let’s see how this pan out then. He had risen into the noise and stalked his prey before pulling him into the water and his life. The swearing he understood and the frozen realisation but the feeling of Jonathans' cheek under his lips was worth it. He could have done without the banshee girlfriend though. She spouted filth at them, nothing he hadn’t heard back in Cali a million times over and went on so long that the pool manager had to escort her still screaming self out of the pool. Billy had smiled and heaved himself out of the pool before offering the other boy his hand, which Jonathan hesitantly took, and leading them away from the onlookers and into the staff changing rooms.

“I know you don’t like me and I don’t blame you in any way. I have been horrible to you, Steve and the kids. I wanted a reason to approach you and apologise but I didn’t know how to do it and have it sound sincere. You have no reason to trust me or any word I’m saying but if you’ll let me, I want to prove that I can be good. For you at least then maybe the others?”

“Billy-“

“I have issues. I have so many issues that my issues have issues and I don’t know if I can solve all of them but I want to try. I want to at least try at this”

“Billy”

“If you say no then I’ll back off, I’ll leave you and all the others alone”

“BILLY” He froze and watched Jonathan slowly walk towards him. “I know you have issues. I have the same issues if more healed with time. I am willing to work at this if you are – and you have shown that you are. So-“ He leaned forward and placed a small, chaste kiss on Billys’ lips. Just a dry press of skin but with so much more meaning. It was a promise, a promise to learn, a promise to understand, a promise to try. A heavy promise but one that he didn’t have to carry alone. He had a field trip buddy now. That’s how his mother used to describe soulmates and relationships in general.

  * Check on your buddy
  * Make sure your buddy doesn’t forget their lunch box on the school bus
  * Hold hands with your buddy so you don’t get lost
  * If your buddy wants to look at the monkey cage, look at the monkey cage with them – you can look at the lions later
  * If you are the one looking at the monkey cage ask your buddy what they want to do next and if they want to feed the giraffe, help them find a quarter for the machine
  * Be a good buddy, and if your buddy isn’t a good one too, tell the teacher and ask for a new one.

Something told Billy that Jonathan was going to be a good buddy so Billy would try as hard as he could to be a good buddy back.

They didn’t start dating until about a month down the line. Jonathan wanted to learn more about him and see If they really would work or not. Billy didn’t want to get in trouble with the Chief of Police. The Sheriff was a large man with an intimidating scowl that was very protective of his daughter and step-sons. When El and Max turned out to be soulmates – something even Max knew to hide from father – The Sheriff had sat Max down and given her the shovel talk, Max had told him about it – about how she didn’t feel threatened as much as warned. The thing was when Chief Hopper married Mrs Hopper, he also covered his step-sons in that love and protectiveness. Will got a lot of it, fatherly hugs and words of wisdom were a fan favourite of the small boys. Jonathan, on the other hand, had been more defensive, old enough to remember the lessons he had learned the first time around, he was very much independent and didn’t treat the Chief as a father figure. Still, the Chief made Mrs Joyce very happy and he treated her with love and respect so, while it had taken weeks, bordering on months, Jonathan had begrudgingly come around and was friendlier to the Chief. Billy had watched the tail end of this conflict and saw something he didn’t think he’d ever see. An adult amending their behaviour to respect teenagers feelings. One of the days that Jonathan had brought Billy over for dinner and to stay the night, the subject of Will going out to a park, camping with his friends, came up. The Chief had brought it up but he hadn’t asked Mrs Joyce first, he had asked Jonathan. The Chief had purposefully deferred to Jonathan, not taking Jonathans’ control of the family away, just giving advice and help.

Once in Jonathans’ room, with the door cracked open, Billy had mentioned this to Jonathan, “Yeah, I think Mum talked with him. Probably something about me being used to being the man of the house and not taking kindly to being controlled.” Jonathan was shrugging his shoulders as he said this before crawling into bed and curling up to Billy.

“Your dad was shit too huh?”

“Yeah, mostly verbal to mum but he got physical with me as I got older.” Billy brought his hand up and rubbed along Jonathans’ back, he wasn’t good at feeling and talking about them – or his trauma – but that was something he was working on to prove he could be good enough for Jonathan. Talking. “He started to turn his anger towards Will and I was not having it.” He felt Jonathans' cheek rub on his chest, “I made a deal with him, He could hurt me all he wanted but he couldn’t touch Will. Father agreed but decided that if my punishments were now double that Verbal Abuse wasn’t going to cut it anymore.” Billy kissed the top of Jonathans’ head before swallowing;

“Sir started after Mum was killed. He was a distant and cold father before but her death set him off. I was the only one around him and I looked so much like her. She… She was driving to pick me up from a sleepover. I – I was scared of the storm happening and the sleepover was right on the coast so it was worst for us” He felt Jonathan shift in his arms so he lessened their grip. John hovered over him and wiped his face gently, his fingertips coming back slightly wet. Billy was crying, “I called her crying and she promised to drive and pick me up. Father was furious that she was going out in the storm but she was determined to help her baby” He felt his chest heave in a laugh but he could hardly hear it just a ringing in his ears and pounding rain on the car roof. “We were fine, Mum wasn’t doing anything wrong. It was a stressed mother trying to control her kids in the other car, they ran a red light and slammed into us. Drivers’ side.” He was proper crying now and Jonathan and given up wiping them away, instead, he rolled onto his back and pulled Billy on top of him. Billy burrowed as far as he could into Jonathans’ beige sweater and tried to keep his tears as quiet as possible.

“You’ll heal. Just like I did. Once you get away from that monster” Jonathan just held him for the rest of that night, letting him cry.

They had a lot of nights like that, just letting each other work through their trauma. It was helpful in a really weird way, to know that someone else out there had not only felt this but had survived it. Billy had to be careful what he said and where, Jonathans’ step-father was the Chief of Police and while Billy desperately wanted him and Max to be free, he also knew that being a military man meant that Sir had a lot of connections. If it went to court then he would lose and Sir would kill him for acting out like that. Without him there, god knows what he’ll do to Max. This eventually came to a head a few months later. Billy and Jonathan started dating about three weeks after ‘the discovery’ as Will called it. There were some hiccups where Billys’ temper and Jonathan’s stubbornness clashed and left them with a sour taste in their mouths for the hour they took to calm down. That was something they got from The Chief and Mrs Joyce, taking an hour after a fight to calm down and process what just happened. They sat at the kitchen table after the hour and talked but given the subject matter that he and John often clashed about, they had a different method. They would lay on Johns’ bed and talk but they were not allowed above a whisper until they resolved it. It had worked every time so far and Billy was immensely grateful. This relationship with Jonathan made him want to be a better man not for Jonathan (though that was a part of it) but for himself. He knew that to be the best version of himself he needs to get out of that house. That was where Steve came in.

John and he were in the kitchen late at night – we’re talking like 1 AM here – for lack of the better word ‘making out’. Billy loved doing this with John. Jonathans’ lips were always soft, not chapped like his – split and scabbed from fights and beatings, and they were always a different flavour from ChapStick. Billy had unashamedly started buying Jonathan different kinds of ChapStick then trying to guess which one he was wearing by taste alone. His favourite at the moment was the caramel one. The taste of it, mixed with the apple scent of Johns’ shampoo always made him think of the Fourth of Julys’ with his Mum. She’d always buy him a candy apple and laugh when he stuck his teeth in and couldn’t get them back out. It was one of his favourite memories of her and it now had a link to one of his favourite set of memories of Jonathan. Billy had John up on the counter while he slotted himself between the other boys’ legs. He loved the weight of Johns’ legs around him, a firm warmth that would squeeze tighter whenever he bit a sensitive neck point. Billy always kept his hands on Johns’ hips, when he fanned his fingers out, he reached the boys’ tail bone and his thumb rested on Johns’ lower stomach. Jonathan wasn’t large by any means if Billy had his way he’d put just a little more meat on his soulmates bone, but he was softer than Billys’ toned body and abs. Jonathan had said that he loved Billys’ body and he adored when Billy picked him up like he weighed nothing but personally Billy loved Jonathans softer frame. The best part of Billys’ day was being able to drop his mask and the weight on his shoulders and just bury himself in Jonathan. Cuddling John in bed with his head on Jonathans' stomach, making Jonathan squirm by biting his tights where he will defiantly feel it tomorrow and the best- Kiddies look away or cover your ears, whatever the fuck you need to do – Jonathans’ arse being firm enough to hold the perfect shape but with enough fat to jiggle when spanked, Perfect. Ok, Kiddies you can come back now.

That was where Steve found them. Tangled up and just slowly enjoying the other. He coughed to get their attention and they slowly separated, Billy chasing after Jonathans' lips before pouting at Steve,

“Princess! We were busy!”

“I can see that, do you mind relocating? El wants a drink.” Jonathan sighed before hopping down and letting Steve get to the sink. “I actually wanted to talk to you guys about something.” Billy froze and could feel Jonathan mimicking him to his left. Steve carried on like he hadn’t noticed – he had, “The kids say that you two are talking about your trauma to bond more-“ Billy opened his mouth to accuse the little shits of spying but Steve cut him off, “- Don’t worry they don’t know what you were talking about just that it’s your past.” Billy let out a breath but took another one in once Steve said, “I, on the other hand, was able to fit the pieces together and I know what you two are talking about – and I wanna help” Billy scoffed and puffed his chest,

“What can you do exactly to help?” Steve put the glass down on the side and turned to look them both in the eye,

“Your father might have connections as a military man but I’ll bet a lot of money that he doesn’t have as many connections as the Harringtons have or as much money” With that, he picked the glass back up and disappeared into the shadow-filled hallway.

“What do you think?” Jonathans' voice almost startled him if the other boy hadn’t placed a hand on Billys’ back just before. “Steve wouldn’t offer if he didn’t mean it” Billy scoffed,

“Why would he spend all that money on someone who beat the shit out of him?”

“I beat the shit out of him last year, but when my mother had to choose between food for the week or Wills’ medical bills, Steve turned around and paid all of his bills off in one go.” Jonathan slowly circled Billy to reach his face and gently cupped his jaw. “This is your chance to make sure Max doesn’t grow up bitter like us” That was the deal-breaker, Max.

He and Jonathan talked about it further once curled up in bed and a little more before breakfast. They decided to talk to Steve about the process and how he could ensure Billy and Maxs’ safety. Steve was very calm about the whole thing. He sent the kids off the play in Wills’ room asking them to keep the door open a crack then sat them both down at the table. He laid out some facts for them to do that would help them. One big thing was proof. No matter the validity of the story being told – Judges and courts were still incredibly biased people and places. Steve said to get those mini cameras and recorders that have a 12-hour life span and set them up in the main areas of the house. The living room, the kitchen, hallway and Billy’s bedroom. “The cameras in question have a remote. A tiny thing, if you suspect that your father is going to kick off or you see the warning signs, turn them on. “Or you can leave them on the whole time if you wish – up to you” Another thing Steve brought up was witness statements – The best being Susan and Max. “I understand that Susan is aware of what he does to you but has never intervened?” Billy nodded, “Perfect, get that on film too and we can do her in for Assisting Child Abuse and Neglect. What about Max?”

“I’ll talk to her, then depending on how that goes you can talk to her? Do your Pack Mother thing?” Steve smiled and nodded his consent.

“We should also talk to Heather. We don’t have to tell her anything personal. Just record us asking her how you were that day. We do that on days after your father has left you alone, and after days he hurts you. If they say that the witnesses are biased we pull those out. Heather has no idea why you are asking her these questioned so she can’t be biased.” Billy sighed deeply before levelling Steve in the eye,

“I suppose this means I have to talk to Chief Hopper.” Steve sadly nodded his head.

“Don’t worry” Jonathan placed his hand on Billys’ thigh, “Hop was the officer that helped us get away from Lonnie. He might not have been the Chief then but he was the only one who listened to us.” Steve quietly added,

“He helped me too.” Both other boys’ heads shot towards Steve at that. Steve seemed to expect that, “it wasn’t often, my parents left for too long to be a constant. But that also meant that when it did happen, I didn’t know to tell people. The current Chief just laughed at me. The Harringtons' were the perfect royal family, they wouldn’t do anything like that. Hopper listened to me. While he couldn’t do anything legal, he still sat with me each time and talked me through it. When my parents abandoned me completely I started acting out – desperate for that attention – Hopper was the only adult that cared to think about why I was acting out.” Steve took a breath in through his mouth and Billy could hear how wet it was. “Trust us. Chief will listen to you. Not what your father tries to say. Oh also, Jonathan! Take lots of photos of your Man.” Steves' face was light-hearted but quickly fell, “Document everything”

It took a month of constant filming, recording and documenting before Billy worked up the courage to have him and Max sit down with The Chief. He asked that it happen at the Hopper-Byers clan home. He wanted to be able to escape to Jonathan if things went south. Max could also lean on Will if needed. It was perfect and Max agreed to go with him without bitching. He drove the speed limit and didn’t take the corners so hard. He did blast Metallica but it calmed him down sue him. He could feel Maxs’ eyes burning into his face but he steady fast ignored her. Once at the Byers he hugged Jonathan who stood at the door to greet them. A quick kiss turned slightly more intimate, partially to delay the conversation but mostly because Jonathan was wearing the Carmel Chapstick and Billy was only so strong. A strong clearing of the throat interrupted them, Max had already dashed past The Chief towards Wills’ room but The Chief was very pointedly looking at where Billys’ hands lay on Jonathans’ waist. A deep breath for himself, and a quick peck on the cheek for John and he strode into the living room. He heard heavy footsteps behind him and tried to quell the fear rising. It didn’t help. About 5 minutes in he couldn’t see through the tears, He felt Jonathan take his hand and he turned his face towards him, crying into his jacket. “Billy?” Jonathan’s voice was measured and calm in his ear, “Talk to me, like you have before” He found that that was so much easier, looking at Jonathan and knowing he understood.

With his story over he tried to compose himself as best he could before The Chief brought Max in. It wasn’t that well, he knew the moment that Max sees his red eyes and tear track covered cheeks.

“What’s going on?”

“Maxine Mayfield, I need to ask you some questions regard the abuse in your home”

“Err, what?”

“The verbal, emotional and physical abuse being carried out by one Neil Hargrove.”

“Oh, are you talking about the times Neil yells at Billy after Billy fucks up?” Billy felt Jonathans' arms tighten around his shoulders and The Chief spoke before he could,

“It doesn’t matter how much a child fucks up, there is never an excuse to lay a hand on them.” Max sat down in the armchair next to the sofa he and John were on. The chief went through similar questions he asked Billy and slowly Maxs’ face started to change. It went tenser and started losing its colour. She kept flicking her eyes to where Billy was being held by Jonathan and she was hesitating before answering Chief Hoppers’ questions. Eventually, Max was free to go and The Chief stood up and heaved a sigh before pinching the bridge of his nose. “Why is this world so full of fuckers?” He turned towards Billy. “Luckily this backwards society places Soulmates above everything law wise so I want you and Max to stay here with Jonathan and Jane. The police can’t force you away from them” The Chief took the recorder out of his belt and switched it off. “I need to go to the station, see you later John. Your Mum should be back in about 2 hours – ok?”

“Ok, Pops.” With that the man turned and walked out the door, leaving them alone. The moment the door shut Billy tasted caramel and he melted into it.

“Come on Baby, bedtime for us I think.” Jonathan pulled him up and manhandled him down the corridor and into bed. Billy fell asleep with Jonathans' head on his chest and a very bad feeling in his head.

That bad feeling proved to be true when the next morning, he was awoken by his father pounding on the Byers front door demanding his daughter be returned to him and ‘didn’t they know it was illegal to kidnap minors’. That was the last straw for The Chief. He through the front door open with cuffs in his hand, still in tank top and sweatpants, and slapped them on Sirs’ wrists. Billy and Jonathan had both had their ‘big brother instincts’ kick in as both of them had bee-lines for the kids’ room and were sitting on the bed holding their respective little sibling – even if Max was trying to fight it off. Will, on the other hand, looked perfectly content in Jonathans’ arms and was almost falling asleep again. A loud yell caught their attention and footsteps slammed down the hall, Billy shoved Max towards Jonathan, trusting his Soulmate to keep their little ones safe, and stood just by the doorway. That way when the door slammed open, narrowly missing him, he was the first thing in his fathers’ line of wrath. With his hands cuffed he couldn’t do much but he could wrap his hands around Billys' throat and slam him into the wall. Billy fought as hard as he could but was rapidly getting weaker as his body was deprived of oxygen. He heard shouting around him but it all sounded fuzzy and far away like he was underwater. Suddenly the pressure around his throat alleviated and he gasped and hacked up, desperately trying to get his body back. There were little hands on his arms and larger firmer hands on his chest. Wills rainbow-inspired room was lovely on a sunny day but when everything was fuzzy and mixing it looked like a paint pot gone wrong. He staggered to his feet in time to watch Chief Hooper haul his father away screaming and spitting. The front door slammed behind him and Billy slammed to the ground.

He woke up about 3 days later, so the nurses say, in a hospital bed with a wicked sore throat. But, Jonathan was by his bedside with Will curled on his lap, Max was resting on his chest – her red hair glowing in the setting sun streaming through the window and Steve Harrington was on his mobile in the corner making vaguely threatening remarks while simultaneously putting a French braid in Janes’ hair. This was his family and by the look on Steves' face, they were going to fight tooth and nail to keep him.


End file.
